Page 37 of The Cowboy Fix

Game on.“I’ll be ready.”

Yup. Less than forty-five minutes later—because he was impatient—when he pulled up in front of the guesthouse, Izzy was waiting for him in the garden. Leaving the engine running, he jumped out, opened the passenger-side door, and helped her, and the familiar satchel she carried, into the cab of the truck, then pulled on the seatbelt so she could easily reach it and snap it in place.

She was pretty in a spring-flowered dress with flat, patent leather shoes. Pretty enough in fact that he had to come up with a topic of conversation that wouldn’t make him look like he was more interested in kissing her than he was having lunch. His pulse began to simmer. “Tell me about your work and why you like it so much.”

“That’s a long conversation.”

He shrugged. “We have plenty of time.”

“All right. The Triple L is the biggest job I’ve taken on, which is why I’m excited about it. It’s my first ranch restoration and a big challenge.” After placing the satchel flat on her lap, she shifted so she could look at him while she talked.

Nathan settled in, wondering what she might reveal, like what had she hoped to gain from taking on the Triple L’s problems.

“My main purpose is to give struggling businesses new life, whether that’s restoring financials like with the ranch, or updating the physical structures, bringing in customers, that sort of thing. When I get it right, it’s very rewarding. The last project I worked on was a Shakespearean theater that was a little worn around the edges and had low attendance for its plays. The financials were not good. So, I made a business plan to get more sponsors, and theatergoers to attend the performances. It worked out great.”

“A nice addition to your résumé, then,” he said softly, remembering she’d included a recommendation from the manager of the theater on the application she’d submitted to Jonas. At the time he’d been skeptical that she could do what she claimed she could. Now? He hoped she could. “If you can do the same here, the Triple L will be a feather in your cap too.”

“My bread-and-butter comes from recommendations by previous clients.”

He nodded. If she got the ranch back in tip-top shape, she would deserve the best recommendation he could give her business.

“We can do the same for the Triple L. The more recommendations we get from couples who get married at the cottage, or from folks taking riding lessons, the more we can build up a steady clientele for future business.”

He wasn’t sure they could meet such a lofty goal in the short time they had before the bank manager got serious about collecting on his loan. Still, it was worth a try.

On the edge of town, Nathan turned onto Mesa Avenue. Luke’s was on the right. “How long did it take you to finish the theater job?”

“Three and a half months, and only because a waterpipe burst. It was a fun project.”

As he pulled into Luke’s parking lot, Izzy unbuckled her seatbelt. “We don’t have much time to turn the ranch around,” he reminded the ambitious woman.

“If we can get business rolling in, then we can present a plan of intention and projected outcomes to the bank manager and maybe get an extension on your note.”

He secretly crossed his fingers that she was right. The account manager hadn’t been all that flexible when he’d spoken to her the month before his accident. After his conversation with her, he’d had to confess to Jonas how far in the hole the ranch was. Big brother wasn’t pleased. After that, Jonas called Blake home, packed up his home and law office, and moved back from Denver.

He sprinted to catch up and open the restaurant door. “Have you been here before?”

“No, but I checked the menu out online. If it’s as good as it looks—”

He followed her into the cool interior, a welcome contrast with the early August heat outside. “The food is great.”

“Good. I’m famished,” she said and after looking around, took a seat in the booth the waitress led them to. “I love the Old West vibe they have going.”

Aged wood covered the walls. Wagon wheel lights hung from the ceiling. The smell of lunch grilling made Nathan realize how hungry he was, for food but also for the company of a lunchmate who wasn’t just having a business meal with one of her clients.

It’d been a long time since he’d indulged in a social moment away from the ranch and with a pretty lady who had his pulse galloping.

He picked up the menu. Izzy was already scanning hers. “The taco salad looks good. What are you going to have?”

“A burger and fries.” He didn’t have to study the menu. He knew what he liked. And what he liked was sitting across from Izzy Payton and watching her concentrate as she selected her meal.

They placed their orders. The silence between them stretched too thin. Nathan finally gave in. “Should we get this meeting started while we’re waiting?”

“Sure.” She turned serious, bumping up his racing heartbeat even more as she opened the satchel. “Blake, Malorie, and the kids should finish planting at the cottage today. Mal said they’d stay until they got it all done. After that, all that’s left to do is stage the inside, take some photos to put up on the website I’m almost done with, and start booking weddings. Jonas has already taken care of the permit and insurance issues.”

Nathan was a skeptical man by nature, but this time he wanted Izzy’s vision of turning his mother’s she-shed into a wedding venue to work. Not only because it was a step in the right direction to save the ranch, but because in his mind and heart, it was a memorial to Adam and Zelda, and would wipe away some of the guilt he still carried around after how his last conversation with Adam had gone. “We can take bookings right away?”

“We can. It’s a charming wedding location. All the promo is ready to go.”

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